Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry

Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
The Regimental Insignia of the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry
Active	1947–present
Country	India
Branch	Army
Type	Light Infantry
Role	Infantry
Size	15 battalions
Garrison/HQ	Avantipur, Jammu & Kashmir
Motto(s)	Balidanam Vir Lakshanam (Sacrifice is a characteristic of the Brave)
War Cry	Bharat Mata Ki Jai (Victory to Mother India)
Decorations	1 Param Vir Chakra, 2 Ashok Chakra, 10 Maha Vir Chakras, 34 Vir Chakras, 4 Shaurya Chakras and 56 Sena Medals.
Commanders
Colonel of the Regiment	Lt Gen Satish Dua, SM, VSM
Insignia
Regimental Insignia	A pair of crossed rifles

The Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry (JAK LI) is an infantry regiment of the Indian Army. The regimental center is in Srinagar's Airport Complex at Avantipur with a winter setup near Jammu. Its regimental insignia consists of a pair of crossed rifles. The regiment mostly consists of volunteers from the state of Jammu & Kashmir. 50% of the regiment's troops are Muslims while the rest represent other ethnic groups from the state.

In response to the Pakistani invasion of Kashmir in 1947, local militias were raised for specific sectors, such as Jammu, Leh, Nubra, etc. The militias were a paramilitary force under the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs and operated on the Line of Control. Following the Sino-Indian War of 1962, in 1963 the 7th and 14th Battalions of the J&K Militia were spun off to form the Ladakh Scouts.

The militias conducted themselves with great distinction during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1965 and earned 3 Battle Honours during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. The troopers of the force felt strongly that they wanted the dignity and privileges of a regular army unit, especially keeping in mind their performance and sacrifice in the recent wars. Keeping this in mind, the then head of the J&K Militia, Brigadier Lekhraj Singh Puar of the Garhwal Rifles, who was on deputation to the Ministry of Home Affairs from the Indian Army, prepared and presented plans to the Ministry of Home Affairs for conversion of the militia into regular unit on his own initiative. These efforts bore fruit, and in 1972, the J&K Militia was converted to a full-fledged Army regiment as the Jammu and Kashmir Militia under the Ministry of Defence. Brigadier Puar went on to become the first Colonel of the Regiment. In 1976, the regiment was renamed as the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry.